Noneoven fabrics are used for a wide variety of applications from baby wipes and diapers to automobile covers. These diverse applications call for materials having diverse properties and attributes. Some applications, for example, call for nonwovens which are highly wettable, i.e. quickly allow liquids to pass through them, e.g. liners for diapers and feminine hygiene products, while others require a high degree of repellency, e.g. outdoor fabrics and surgical fabrics. It is the latter class of products with which this invention is concerned, specifically, nonwoven materials which have superior barrier properties yet which have a high degree of vapor breathabilty.
Fabrics for surgical applications, for example as a surgical gown, must have good liquid barrier properties in order to protect medical personnel from contact with the bodily fluids of the patient yet must be breathable in order for the wearer's perspiration to pass through the fabric so as to remain comfortable. The fabric must also be strong enough to perform the desired function in the appropriate environment yet be soft and drapeable for the wearer's comfort and to avoid restricting the wearer's range of motion.
It is also important in many applications of nonwovens, for example as garments, for the finished product to be as lightweight as possible yet still perform its desired function. A lighter garment performing the same function as a heavier garment would be more comfortable for the wearer and probably less expensive to manufacture since less raw material would be necessary for its production.
A lighter weight, soft fabric having high liquid barrier properties, high vapor transmission and good strength would be of great utility in a diverse range of applications.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a soft nonwoven laminate having high liquid barrier properties, high vapor transmission and good strength.